A childhood love of ‘The Karate Kid’ started Deci Boon on a path that, five years later, would see her fighting on the international stage in Korea.
The Leeming Senior High School Year 10 student was in Year 4 when the movie sparked an interest in martial arts.
“I just thought it was the coolest thing in the world, and I wanted to learn fancy kicks, so I told my mum and she enrolled me in Taekwondo,” Deci said.
Now 15, Deci trains at French’s Martial Arts in Kardinya under coach Steele French and spends about seven hours training three to four times each week.
Her efforts have already brought success this year. In July, Deci won bronze at the President’s Cup and gold at the Australian Open on the Gold Coast.
Those results helped put her in a strong position for selection for the Korea tour.
Deci was selected by WA pathways coach Larissa Markovina to represent Australia, giving her the chance to compete against athletes from around the world.
She reached the quarter-finals at the Chuncheon International Open before winning bronze at the KUY Cup International Open.
Deci said competing overseas gave her a chance to see how fighters from different countries approached the sport.
“You notice little trends within each country when watching fights and even fighting them, so that was pretty interesting,” she said.
Winning bronze, however, brought mixed emotions.
“Initially, I was disappointed,” Deci said.
She had lost to the same opponent who had beaten her at an earlier competition in Korea and believed she could have done better.
“In hindsight, I’m quite proud of it, but there’s always going to be some level of disappointment after losing any fight,” she said.
Her mother, Julie Vincent, said watching Deci win fights at that level was rewarding after seeing the setbacks she had worked through.
“The KUY Cup went on until 4.30am so that was a really long day for the competitors,” she said.
While the medals are special, Ms Vincent said they were not what made her proudest.
“Medals of course are a great acknowledgement and source of pride but what I am most proud of Deci for is her resilience and kindness,” she said.
“She has stuck with it through tough times and has never given up.”
Ms Vincent said Deci remained supportive of younger teammates and opponents while also maintaining good results at school and spending time with friends.
Behind the competitions are hours of training, interstate travel and careful preparation.
Ms Vincent said athletes also have to stay within a narrow weight range after registering for competitions, adding another challenge for young competitors.
Deci said balancing school and taekwondo could sometimes become overwhelming.
“If I’ve got more than usual on, I just need to cut the social life for a week or so and focus on what is necessary,” she said.
Her next target is the national championships in Canberra, where she hopes to win gold.
Ms Vincent shares that hope but said Deci would have her support regardless of how long she chooses to compete.
“However long she wants to maintain her involvement in taekwondo I will have her back,” she said.
“But if she ever decides to move on from it, I will also support her.”
